Source: Team_Talk
Title defeat a spur - McCourt
Celtic's belief that they threw away last season's SPL title will spur on everyone at Parkhead this term, according to Paddy McCourt.[LNB] The Hoops' goalless draw against Rangers at Ibrox in April left Neil Lennon's men one point behind their Old Firm rivals at the top of the table but with a game in hand and a better goal difference.[LNB]Five straight wins would have guaranteed the return of the championship to the east end of Glasgow but a shock 3-2 defeat in Inverness handed the initiative back to the Ibrox side who clinched their third successive title on the last day.[LNB]Asked if the feeling at Celtic was that they had thrown the league away, the former Derry City player said: "I would probably be lying if I said that there wasn't because at the end of the day, we had it in our hands with five games to go and we let it slip.[LNB]"If we won our five games we would have won the league.[LNB]"If you look back (earlier in the season), I think there were two or three home draws on the spin.[LNB]"People say we lost it then but I still look back at the Inverness game.[LNB]"We didn't turn up that night and we got punished and we are still paying for it.[LNB]"It is still pretty fresh, it is only a couple of months ago and it's not something you just get over quickly.[LNB]"Once you feel that hurt of coming so close, it's not something you want to go through again.[LNB]"To come so close last year, and to play so well in so many games and then to falter is disappointing.[LNB]"We only have ourselves to blame in that respect so we will be hoping to go and put it right this year. Certainly I will be using that to go on.[LNB]"Once the season starts again, hopefully we hit the ground running and we can only try to rectify it by winning it this year."[LNB]McCourt, who misses tonight's friendly away to Cardiff to get treatment on a knee knock, knows the importance of preventing Rangers retaining the title under new boss Ally McCoist.[LNB]"A title is important to this club every season," the Northern Ireland international said.[LNB]"But when it gets to two and three years and you haven't won it, it starts to get more important.[LNB]"Everyone involved with the club will be going all out to get it back."[LNB]McCourt is something of a cult figure among the Celtic support but he is bemused by the emergence of several Paddy McCourt Twitter accounts.[LNB]He said: "They are all fake because I don't really use computers.[LNB]"I don't know anything about it.[LNB]"Some people ask if it's me but it's certainly not."
